Local News - October 2003

WLHS homecoming has tractor tradition

By SARAH GRANO, Staff Writer

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Students drove tractors, golf carts and lawn mowers to West Lincoln High School on Friday in honor of homecoming.

“It’s tradition at West Lincoln High School,” said Cindy Hopkins, an assistant principal.

“Instead of driving the traditional convertible, this is their convertible, the tractors.”

Students drove from home to school in the cold. Some tractors had trailers carting 10 students.

Once they arrived at school they cruised around the student parking lot as students dressed as hillbillies watched.

Friday was both school spirit day and hillbilly day. Some students dressed in school colors and even painted their faces gray and red.

Most wore overalls and other hillbilly attire, and took pride in what they called a “hillbilly school.”

“It’s fun,” said Heather Peterson, a senior. “It’s country. It’s what we are.”

Many students came to school waving confederate flags or wearing them on their clothes.

These students were promptly told to put them away or cover them up.

“We don’t want them to seem racist. It’s a school violation to display the confederate flag,” Hopkins said.

“It’s not that we don’t believe in the confederacy and all the stuff that happened in history. The thing is that if we offend one person we cannot allow it.”

Nearly 30 tractors, golf carts and lawnmowers were driven to school. Tractors were by far the most popular vehicle.

“Some of them have pretty expensive tractors,” said Debra Morris, the school’s principal. “They cost a lot more than my car.”

Jessica Leatherman drove to school in a golf cart with a deer head attached to the back.

“It was freezing,” Leatherman said. “We thought it would be something different. We actually beat the tractors, some of them.”

Not only was it cold riding on a tractor at seven in the morning, it was also slow.

“I got behind one this morning,” Morris said. “I thought I was going to be late.”

Riding tractors to school on homecoming day has been a tradition at West Lincoln High for as long as anyone can remember.

It’s most of the student’s favorite part of spirit week, which leads up to homecoming.

“Everybody gets together,” said Mitchell Lingerfelt, a senior.

“It helps build school spirit by getting back to what it used to be.”

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Staff Writer Sarah Grano can be reached at 704-735-3031 or sgrano@ltnews.com

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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